That things in the Colony are not what they should be <br />no one can doubt any longer, <br />and though in spite of everything we do go forward, <br />maybe—as more than a few believe—the time has come <br />to bring in a Political Reformer. <br /> <br />But here's the problem, here's the hitch: <br />they make a tremendous fuss <br />about everything, these Reformers. <br />(What a relief it would be <br />if no one ever needed them.) They probe everywhere, <br />question the smallest detail, <br />and right away think up radical changes <br />that demand immediate execution. <br /> <br />Also, they have a liking for sacrifice: <br />Get rid of that property; <br />your owning it is risky: <br />properties like those are exactly what ruin colonies. <br />Get rid of that income, <br />and the other connected with it, <br />and this third, as a natural consequence: <br />they are substantial, but what can one do? <br />the responsibility they create for you is damaging. <br /> <br />And as they proceed with their investigation, <br />they find an endless number of useless things to eliminate— <br />things that are, however, difficult to get rid of. <br /> <br />And when, all being well, they finish the job, <br />every detail now diagnosed and sliced away, <br />and they retire, also taking the wages due to them— <br />it will be a miracle if anything's left at all <br />after such surgical efficiency. <br /> <br />Maybe the moment has not yet arrived. <br />Let's not be too hasty: haste is a dangerous thing. <br />Untimely measures bring repentance. <br />Certainly, and unhappily, many things in the Colony are absurd. <br />But is there anything human without some fault? <br />And after all, you see, we do go forward.<br /><br />Constantine P. Cavafy<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/in-a-large-greek-colony-200-b-c/
